I have to come up with some ideas for a tasting . The theme is the Chinese New Year, or the Year of the Dragon. The count is 350, and I believe it's in the spring. Any suggestions? I was thinking as a garnish, I might seek out a dragon garde manger cutter, and cut garnishes out of kiwi, papaya, or melon.

By W.DeBord on Sunday, January 30, 2000 - 11:08 am: Edit

Very cool theme, I wish they would do something oriental at my work. Off the top of my head there are a few things I've wanted to do with this theme whether there right for you I don't know.

Sashimi rolls (that's japanese right?) but the concept is...take a cake roll and flatten it with a rolling pin to represent seaweed, roll fruit inside, dip roll in ganache and slice, artfully arrange on plate sliced end up for visual.

Micheal Roux has a "egg drop" looking dessert soup you could float a dragon in.

Didn't chocolatier have an issue not too long ago featuring fortune cookies? I'll look for you, they paired it with maybe a tea icecream.

I also find ganache filled wontons interesting. You could play with the theme like an appetizer plate but they are sweet dessert items.

Last thing off the top...I have looked at buying that cutter. The price varies wildly from one place to another, also they are smaller and harder to use than you might imagine.

By Mikeh (Mikeh) on Sunday, January 30, 2000 - 11:18 am: Edit

You can do some cool stuff with ice creams -- fire and ice type desserts. Two of my favourites are green tea and black pepper ice creams.

How about rolling up stuff in phyllo or strudel dough to simulate spring rolls?

Myself, I generally don't have a palate that appreciates Asian desserts. Are you looking to do American desserts that look like Asian food, or do you want to make desserts with Asian flavors?

I think finishing the meal with a cool interpretation of a fortune cookie would be great.

Cheers, Mike

By momoreg on Sunday, January 30, 2000 - 06:29 pm: Edit

Thanks! It really is a fun theme for a party. There isn't one idea in the bunch that I didn't like! You both came up with awesome desserts. A few years ago I did a sweet sushi that was unique, but I prefer the wonton idea, as well as the spring rolls. If I really want to be a masochist, I could do a pupu platter, with a spring roll, some wontons, and whatever. You got the idea ball rolling for me. Mikeh, I think the client is less concerned with Asian flavor, and more concerned with style. The flavors, of course, have to be somwhat universally liked. W., I think I remember seeing fortune cookies in Chocolatier. That sounds like a cute accompaniment, too.

By tj on Sunday, January 30, 2000 - 10:45 pm: Edit

i had a similar party once and made among other things fried ice cream balls.just like you would make sweet and sour pork.you use the same batter.take hollow tubes of genoise or any tort ,pre fill them with as many flavours ice cream using a piping bag.dip in the batter and fry.then pour on hot caramel or maple sauces (for imediate service only )...
do the same with fruits (banana, apple, pine apple) and flambe`...also fortune cookies from tuile batter in different colors filled with a variaty of filling...candied ginger cookies...

By momoreg on Monday, January 31, 2000 - 11:57 am: Edit

I do like the concept of an oversized fortune cookie with a fruit and ginger filling., Maybe served with an Asian flavored ice cream. I mustn't forget the m.s.g.!

By tj on Monday, January 31, 2000 - 06:43 pm: Edit

here is another one i made for this occassion..
i took lichies ,filled them with candied ginger or caramelizes nuts ,and dipped several times in white and dark chocolate ganaches to get a thick coating.the last one on the out side was white.rolled it in sweeten coconut shreds.this came out very tasty...
dont forget the old 7 treasure rice...

By momoreg on Monday, January 31, 2000 - 08:20 pm: Edit

You read my mind! I was jotting down ideas, and thought of using a litchi puree with ginger as a sauce. The dipped litchis sound like they might not be practical to do more than 12 hours ahead, which I have to always be able to do. Do they weep under the chocolate?

By W.DeBord on Tuesday, February 01, 2000 - 07:38 am: Edit

tj what is 7 treasure rice???????

I might use litchi and ginger for sauces but I don't think the average guy would like/know/appreciate either as your main flavor.

My 2 cents again.

By momoreg on Tuesday, February 01, 2000 - 09:05 am: Edit

I agree. Only in a restaurant would somebody want that as their main dessert, but I might get away with it on the petit four tray. Even if the client chooses a litchi and ginger sauce (which I doubt they will), I have to go really easy on the intensity.

By tj on Tuesday, February 01, 2000 - 08:24 pm: Edit

i use caned lichi ,and drain them well, than dry them well with paper towel.stuff and dip with a few coats. the made lichi will keep well for a few days.
the seven treasure rice is a very old recipe, the chines use sometimes as dessert in parties.it is sticky rice that is mixed with raisins, caramelized nuts, dates, cherries etc.very simple, very very old preperation .and i think it is a classic preperation for the chines.

By tj on Tuesday, February 01, 2000 - 08:26 pm: Edit

by the way. do you know the classic cherry clafutti? this recipe works very well with lichi.
so you can make lichi clafutti...

By momoreg on Tuesday, February 01, 2000 - 10:27 pm: Edit

Yeah, actually, my boss is always asking for variations on clafouti. I just think it's kinda plain. Litchi clafouti at least is a little different.

By W.DeBord on Sunday, February 06, 2000 - 08:32 am: Edit

Momoreg looking for ideas...I add chiboust on my clafouti (freeze briefly) then carmelize it, I think it adds alot more interest.

By momoreg on Sunday, February 06, 2000 - 07:43 pm: Edit

ON it, or in place of the custard?

By W.DeBord on Sunday, February 06, 2000 - 10:38 pm: Edit

On it. Michel Roux has a blueberry clafouti with lemon chiboust and carmelized sugar. I haven't gone any further than using his recipe but I can think of other combinations that would be nice.

By momoreg on Sunday, February 06, 2000 - 11:00 pm: Edit

That sounds a lot more exciting than an average clafouti. I don't have his dessert book; how's the rest of it?

By W.DeBord on Monday, February 07, 2000 - 09:47 am: Edit

It's becoming one of my favorites! Really solid recipes, I highly recommend it! I take many of his components to use with other recipes from other books. He's a sure thing.

By momoreg on Monday, February 07, 2000 - 12:29 pm: Edit

Since my foot surgery, I've been reading Pierre Herme's dessert book, and I've ordered the French pastry series. The Michel Roux is currently unavailable through Amazon, but I'll keep looking. I haven't had a new pastry resource for so long, other than magazines, and now I'm in pastry book heaven. Being incapacitated does have its advantages.

By momoreg on Monday, February 07, 2000 - 12:33 pm: Edit

Back to the subject of fun themes for desserts, I was asked to come up with some desserts for a James Bond party next month, for 40 teenagers. That was fun!

By Mikeh (Mikeh) on Monday, February 07, 2000 - 02:40 pm: Edit

Are you looking for Michel Roux's famous desserts, or The Roux Brothers on Patisserie? You can get Michel Roux's Famous Desserts through Barnesandnoble.com with a 1-2 week delivery time. I've had several people recommend the Roux Brothers book to me, but I've been unable to find it.

I recently picked up Cakes and Pastries by Christian Teubner from a rare book store in Vermont -- took me five minutes to find it, I love the Internet -- for only $28 in near-mint condition. I recommend buying it if you can find a copy.

By W.DeBord on Monday, February 07, 2000 - 03:03 pm: Edit

I've owned the Roux bothers book for years and years and haven't really used it. I sure don't like the small print style for their ingredients. It's recipe ideas are not as creative as Michels book.

O.K. What are you going to make for a Bond theme? I wouldn't know where to start.

By momoreg on Monday, February 07, 2000 - 05:07 pm: Edit

I came up w/ 3 ideas for Bond, bearing in mind that my assistant will probably be executing it, and also keeping in mind that this is for kids' taste:

1. Bond in a boat with 2 ladies- that's basically cherries jubilee (very 70's) with 3 scoops of ice cream, inside a boat-shaped hippen tuile.

2. Ice cream or sorbet martini- scoops in a martini glass, with stuffed olives made of green grapes and strawberries, skewered with a poured sugar swizzle stick.

3. 007 Devil's Food truffle tower- A tall cylinder of chocolate cake, glazed w/ ganache, and topped with a 007 cookie, in 3 shades of chocolate. Set in a pool of blood orange sauce (of course), and coarse sugar crystals as a garnish around the sauce (diamonds).

By W.DeBord on Tuesday, February 08, 2000 - 08:33 am: Edit

I love the martini...will that be shaken not stirred?

By momoreg on Tuesday, February 08, 2000 - 09:30 am: Edit

But of course!